Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (MindTap Course List)
14th Edition
ISBN: 9781305073951
Author: Cecie Starr, Ralph Taggart, Christine Evers, Lisa Starr
Publisher: Cengage Learning
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Chapter 46, Problem 3DAA
Changes in the Air To assess the impact of human activity on the carbon dioxide level in Earth's atmosphere, it helps to take a long view. One useful data set comes from deep core samples of Antarctic ice. The oldest ice core that has been fully analyzed dates back a bit more than 400,000 years. Air bubbles trapped in the ice provide information about the gas content in Earth's atmosphere at the time the ice formed. Combining ice core data with more recent direct measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide—as in FIGURE 46.20—can help scientists put current changes in the atmospheric carbon dioxide into historical perspective.
FIGURE 46.20 Changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels (in parts per million). Direct measurements began in 1980. Earlier data are based on ice cores.
The industrial revolution occurred around 1800. What was the trend in carbon dioxide level in the 800 years prior to this event? What about in the 175 years after it?
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Which of the following statements about the carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere by human activities each year is most accurate?
a.
About half of it remains in the atmosphere and the other half is split equally between uptake by the oceans and vegetation.
b.
Nearly all of it remains in the atmosphere.
c.
About half of it dissolves in the oceans.
d.
On an annual basis, human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide are small compared to volcanic emissions.
e.
Human-caused emission of carbon dioxide is much greater than that emitted by respiration of all plants, animals, and microorganisms.
Which of the following statements about atmospheric carbon dioxide levels is correct?
For about 800,000 years prior to human influence it varied between 180 and 300 ppm and is now above 410 ppm.
For about 800,000 years prior to human influence it never exceeded 200 ppm.
Its rate of increase in the past century is greater than any seen in the ice core record.
Both 1 & 3
1Which of the following is NOT a consequence of global climate change?
coral bleaching
more ice at the North and South Poles
increases in diseases such as malaria and dengue fever
rising sea levels
2How do scientists determine the atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide that existed on Earth hundreds or thousands of years ago?
They deduce it from the carbon dioxide content of fossil fuels.
They measure it from bubbles of gas trapped in Antarctic ice cores.
They estimate it from the numbers of carbon-based life forms that existed over time.
They calculate carbon dioxide levels from the temperature records.
Scientists do not know the atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide thousands of years ago.
3The two factors that are responsible for the climate of an area are:
the number and size of different kinds of species
the position of the area in relation to island chains
the elevation of the area, and its tree cover
the amount of rainfall and temperature.
the…
Chapter 46 Solutions
Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (MindTap Course List)
Ch. 46 - In most ecosystems, the primary producers use...Ch. 46 - Organisms at the lowest trophic level in a...Ch. 46 - Prob. 3SQCh. 46 - Prob. 4SQCh. 46 - Efficiency of energy transfers in aquatic...Ch. 46 - Prob. 6SQCh. 46 - Earths largest carbon reservoir is _______. a. the...Ch. 46 - Carbon is released into the atmosphere by _____ a....Ch. 46 - Prob. 1DAACh. 46 - Prob. 2DAA
Ch. 46 - Changes in the Air To assess the impact of human...Ch. 46 - Changes in the Air To assess the impact of human...Ch. 46 - Prob. 9SQCh. 46 - The _____ cycle is a sedimentary cycle. a....Ch. 46 - Earths largest phosphorus reservoir is _______. a....Ch. 46 - Prob. 12SQCh. 46 - Nitrogen fixation converts _______ to _______. a....Ch. 46 - Prob. 14SQCh. 46 - Prob. 15SQCh. 46 - Marguerite plants a vegetable garden in Maine....Ch. 46 - Where does your drinking water come from? An...Ch. 46 - Scientists study bubbles trapped in ancient...Ch. 46 - Nitrogen-fixing bacteria live throughout the...Ch. 46 - As noted in Section 46.7, mycorrhizal fungi help...
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- Changes in the Air To assess the impact of human activity on the carbon dioxide level in Earth's atmosphere, it helps to take a long view. One useful data set comes from deep core samples of Antarctic ice. The oldest ice core that has been fully analyzed dates back a bit more than 400,000 years. Air bubbles trapped in the ice provide information about the gas content in Earth's atmosphere at the time the ice formed. Combining ice core data with more recent direct measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxideas in FIGURE 46.20can help scientists put current changes in the atmospheric carbon dioxide into historical perspective. FIGURE 46.20 Changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels (in parts per million). Direct measurements began in 1980. Earlier data are based on ice cores. 4. Was the rise in the carbon dioxide level between 1800 and 1975 larger or smaller than the rise between 1980 and 2013?arrow_forwardGreenhouse gases ________. a. slow the escape of heat from Earth into space b. are produced by natural and human activities c. are at higher levels than they were 100 years ago d. all of the abovearrow_forwardCarbon is released from organisms as part of cellular respiration. If the organism lives on land, what part of the biosphere is the carbon released into? stratosphere hydrosphere atmosphere lithospherearrow_forward
- If there are many greenhouse gases, why is only carbon dioxide considered a cause of global warming?a. The other gases do not cause global warming.b. It isn’t. Scientists are concerned about other causes; for example, release of methane from melting permafrost could have significant effects on global warming.c. Other gases occur in such low quantities that they have little effect on the climate.d. Carbon dioxide is the only gas that absorbs long-wavelength infrared radiation.arrow_forwardImagine that humans have significantly reduced the amount of greenhouse gas emissions on Earth, but the planet is still warming due to past emissions. How might solar radiation management be implemented to rapidly cool the planet and prevent further impacts of climate change? a. aerosols can be removed from clouds to decrease the amount of cloud condensation nuclei b. sulfur dioxide can be injected into the stratosphere to decrease albedo c. sulfur dioxide can be injected into the atmosphere to increase albedo d. shipping can be regulated to reduce the cloud condensation nuclei of ship tracksarrow_forwardWhy is carbon dioxide the focus of so much attention regarding climate change? What are the main sources of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and what can we do to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere? Bring into your discussion the carbon cycle, a discussion of Venus and Mercury, the evidence for human impact on carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and its impact on climate (refer to any graphs you need to), and ways in which scientists have recommended limiting climate change.arrow_forward
- In a Hadley circulation cell at the Equator: Group of answer choices A. air at the Earth’s surface is warmed by the upper atmosphere, becomes turbulent, and causes hurricanes. B. air is warmed by solar radiation, causing it to sink and become more dense. C. air and water vapor are warmed by solar radiation, causing them rise, cool, and release precipitation. D. air is constantly being pushed downward towards the Earth’s surface by new air coming in from 30ON and 30OS. E. solar radiation and high winds dry out the land.arrow_forwardDescribe one way in which changes in the biosphere can cause changes in the climate system. Next, suggest one way in which the biosphere is affected by changes in some other part of the climate system. Finally indicate one way in which the biosphere records changes in the climate system. Reference page 409 in atmosphere an intro toarrow_forwardWhat gas is a human-made pollutant in the lower (surface) atmosphere but a natural and beneficial gas in the stratosphere? (a) CO2 (b) CH4 (c) O3 (d) CFCs (e) N Oarrow_forward
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